Love Works in Mysterious Waves
by Ghostly Priestess Kikyo
Summary: AU. Due to a strange turn of events, Saki and Megumi end up staying with Shigure, Tohru, Yuki and Kyo. As if this isn't enough, Kyo finds himself doing the unthinkable... falling for the mysterious girl in black! Hanajima/Kyo
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey! This'll be both my first Fruits Basket story here and my first chaptered story here, so I'm rather excited! In case you're wondering, then yes, the pairing really is KyoxHanajima. Eventually you'll see my logic. Or not. Anyways, without further ado, on to the story!**

Love Works in Mysterious Waves

Chapter One

"DAMN RAT!! GET BACK HERE!!"

"Idiot. You're going to destroy the house."

"OW!! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YUKI!!"

Sohma Shigure sighed, typing in the final line—most likely something the other three residing in the house would be disgusted by—in chapter two of his newest novel, _Sinful Love. _It wasn't in Shigure's nature to take sides, but Yuki was right—they really were going to destroy to house. And that meant the only adult (using the term loosely) in the house would be forced to pay for the damage. Oh, woe…

"Er… Sh-Shigure-san, should we stop them?" asked a nervous-looking girl sitting in the chair opposite Shigure's desk. "It looks like Kyo-san is hurt…"

"SHUT UP!! HE HASN'T EVEN MADE ME BREAK A SWEAT!!"

Tohru gulped, raising a hand to her mouth as if to obey Kyo's request and keep herself silent. "Kyon-Kyon, be nice. I'm beginning to question your flirting tactics…" murmured Shigure, adjusting his glasses. "She's new here, after all. Show some hospitality."

"I AM NOT FLIRTING AND--AGH!!" A fierce punch hit home right in the middle of his forehead, and Kyo was thrown backwards, narrowly missing Shigure's pride-and-joy glass vase. The part-time dog let out a sigh of relief. "A-And Tohru's been here longer than I have…" he finished, a good amount of the fight blown out of him.

"Hmph. Stupid cat." Not even pausing to check the (poor) status of the surrounding furniture, Yuki half-walked, half-sauntered up the stairs, his head held high as usual.

"Dammit, you cocky, pretty-boy rat…" snarled Kyo, the pain in his head momentarily pushed aside by his anger. Tohru silently rushed towards the kitchen to get a towel and some water for the hotheaded teenager's wound.

"Kyon-Kyon. You nearly broke my vase. Calm down." ordered Shigure with as much sternness as he could muster. "You're going to school tomorrow anyways, and if you get into a fight there, you'll get in trouble."

"I DON'T CARE!!" roared Kyo, startling Tohru as she attempted to place the wet towel on his now-swelling forehead. "I'm going to beat that damn rat, and I'll beat anyone who tries to get in my way, too!"

"Ooh. Tough words coming from little Kyon-Kyon."

"SHUT UP!!"

* * *

The next day, much to Yuki's before-the-fact embarrassment ("He's going to make a scene trying to fight me... Great.") and Kyo's protesting ("I'M NOT GOING TO SCHOOL WITH THAT DAMN RAT!!") all three high-schoolers made their way into room 2-E, where all hell was likely to break loose some time between the beginning of home room and 11:00, according to Shigure's prediction. Yuki led the way, trying his best to act as if he had no idea who Kyo was. Kyo followed, snarling various death threats and insults at him as Yuki tried his best to ignore them. Tohru trailed somewhere farther back, grinning broadly with oblivious cheerfulness, excited at going to school with two Sohmas, a first for her.

"Damn rat, I'm going to destroy at lunch today. I've been practicing. You haven't been practicing at all. I know that. I'm going to destroy you!"

"Shut up, sit down, and act like a civilized human being for once."

Still growling something under his breath, the almost-Zodiac made his way to a free desk near the back of the room. What he didn't know was that there was a reason most students abhorred the seat—it was in the direct view of the much-feared Saki Hanajima, known as the "Psychic Freak" by a majority of the high-schoolers (who were unskilled at giving nicknames) and "Just Stay Away" by the rest. However, she did have two friends, who were, at the moment, sitting on either side of her. Also staring with interest at Kyo were Arisa Uotani and Honda Tohru, known by the other students as "The Thug" and "The Eerily Happy Girl," respectively.

"So this is the new Sohma, huh?" murmured Uotani, cradling her prized lead pipe in her hands, "He doesn't look like that Yuki guy. For one, he's dyed his hair a ridiculous color."

"Oh, it isn't dyed, I think," replied Tohru, "It's his natural color. And he seems nice!"

"Everyone seems nice to you, dear. How do you know him? Did you talk to him on the way to school or something?"

"O-Oh, I…" Tohru frowned, realizing the mistake she had made. Though Uotani and Hanajima were her two closest friends, she hadn't told them about her new living arrangements quite yet—in fact, she hadn't even mentioned her days in the tent to them. "Er, yes… I did."

"Mm, okay…" Uotani could tell she was lying—hell, everyone could tell when Tohru was lying. She sweated like a pig and stuttered like a moron, though she was neither of those. Still, not wanting to push the fragile girl, Uotani decided it best to drop the subject.

"I sense strange waves from him. Funny, they're almost… feline…" Tohru nearly jumped out of her skin, and both of her friends turned to look at her with concern.

"Really?! That's strange! I've never noticed—I m-mean, I have, but I… n-no, wait, I h-haven't! H-Honest! He's n-not a c--… Um, er…"

"Don't hurt yourself, dear. What do you mean, Hanajima?"

"I'm… not entirely sure…" Hanajima frowned, closing her eyes in concentration. "It's… almost as if…"

"U-Um…!!" cried Tohru, once again nearly jumping out of her skin, "W-We've got ten minutes until class! I'll introduce you two. Kyo-saaan!"

Pausing from his strenuous cursing of Yuki under his breath, Kyo looked up to see the three girls staring at him. "Uh… Tohru-kun…?"

"Let me introduce you to my friends! See, this one…" She gestured erratically to Uotani, "This is Uo-chan! Uo-chan, meet Kyo-san! Kyo-san, meet Uo-chan!"

"Your hair looks idiotic. I really want to dye it black," growled Uotani bluntly.

As most of the Sohma family had already learned, Kyo's rage built fast. Particularly when he had been insulted. "SHUT UP, THUG!! I COULD BEAT YOU TO THE GROUND IN ONE MINUTE FLAT!!"

Luckily, the chatter had already escalated to the point where only a few students looked back at Kyo in alarm, Yuki included, but Uotani was not in any way nervous. Gripping her lead pipe fiercely, she rose from her chair, eyes shining. "And how much do you want to bet, Orangey?!"

"Uh—E-Eep!!" squeaked Tohru, rising to break up the potential brawl. This was not how she had planned the meeting of her beloved friends with her beloved cat. (In fact, she hadn't planned her beloved cat that way at all.) "K-Kyo-san! And, um… this is Hana-chan! Hana-chan, Kyo-san! Kyo-san, H-Hana-chan!" The last two sentences came out in a nervous squeal.

Seeing that she had upset Tohru, Uotani quickly sat back down, turning away from Kyo with a "Huh!" Kyo, however, was not so generous. "What, are you scared, thug?! Because you should be! I've been training for years! I can even beat Yuki!"

His final lie was drowned out, though it was much louder, by an innocent, though ominous, statement: "He's a cat."

Both Kyo and Yuki, who had been listening for the last few minutes of the conversation, jumped. Uotani and Hanajima, fortunately, didn't notice their odd reaction. They were too distracted by another rather strange reaction to a simple metaphorical statement. After Hanajima had murmured her verdict to herself, in fact, Tohru had fainted.

* * *

"Hm… that is rather strange. I'd recommend that she sit the rest of the day out of the classroom." Announced the school nurse as Yuki, Kyo, Hanajima, and Uotani stood over the bed where Tohru was lying, still unconscious. Casting a dubious glance at the four worried students, she added, "You four _can _go back to class, you know…"

"No," replied all four in unison. The nurse shrugged and went back to sit at her desk (which was really just a table with a surplus chair from one of the classrooms added).

"Oh, Tohru…" sang Hanajima in her usual sighing voice, "I wonder why you fainted like that…?"

"It's because you say stupid things, freak!" growled Kyo. He hadn't known Tohru for very long and had to admit her overly-cheerful attitude bugged him, so he was less angry about her reaction to Hanajima's statement than his own.

"What, about you being a cat…?" Hanajima placed her chin on one hand, humming slightly as she pondered the statement. "Well, you do act like one. Always giving off agitated waves when something doesn't go your way, just like Uotani-chan's cat. Besides, you give off feline waves. It is odd…"

"Hanajima, don't freak out Orangey. The real focus here is poor Tohru-chan…" reminded Uotani, switching quickly from thug-mode to mothering-mode. "She must be tired out. And you two…" She gestured towards the two Sohmas. "What are you doing here, anyways? Charming, I've only seen you talking to Tohru once or twice, and Orangey, I thought you guys just met!"

"Well… she…" began Yuki, flustered. If Tohru hadn't told who seemed to be her best friends about her living situations, surely she couldn't be happy with him doing so! "We've talked some on the way to school. And Kyo's my cousin; he follows me everywhere I go like a lost kitten…"

"WHAA!? THAT ISN'T TRUE, RAT!!"

Kyo immediately tensed, ready to start a fist-fight as Uotani and Hanajima quickly backed away until they got into a comfortable position to watch, but the nurse glanced their way and called, "Don't spill any blood on my floor. The janitor just cleaned it."

Such would never stop Kyo, but Yuki sighed and turned back to Tohru. Not to be outdone, Kyo ran over to mimic his protective stance. Hanajima stifled a sly giggles, and Uotani outright exploded into laughter. "Oh, he's a lost kitten, all right! Hahaha!! Hey Orangey, lost your collar? Oh, it's too much, heh!"

"STOP YOUR TAUNTING OR I'LL EAT YOU ALIVE, THUG!!"

"Ooh, that one was creative, eh, Orangey?"

"Idiot cat, people in the hallway are starting to stare…"

"Hey, I said no blood on my floor!!"

Hanajima was the only one to stay silent, not counting still-unconscious Tohru, of course. His catlike personality and identity as a bitchy lost kitten weren't enough to account for the catlike waves emanating off of him. _Forgive me, Tohru-chan, _she thought solemnly, _But I must do some investigating on your newest friend…_


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Hey

**Author's Note: Hey again! Well, I'm excited after getting my first review and here's the result: another chapter! By the way, I just got a new Furuba volume and decided on two things… One: Kyo is awesome. Two: Who knew? 'Sactually Hanajima Saki and Uotani Arisa instead of the other way around. So I'll change that. By the way, I'll have short mentions of Hatori and Kana in this chapter… because I like them.**

Love Works in Mysterious Waves

Chapter Two

"Pardon me Uotani-chan, Sohmas, but I believe I must be going. I should get some research done."

Uotani paused from glaring at the battle-ready Kyo to stare incredulously at her best friend, nearly dropping her lead pipe in shock. "Seriously, Hanajima-chan? Are you ill or something? Don't tell me you'd rather go back to class than watch over our little Tohru-chan?!"

"Oh, of course I would rather stay with Tohru, but I'm afraid I must go. And I'm not going to class. No learning can be done there. Why, right now Lobsterface-sensei—" She meant no disrespect by the name, for that was simply what Uotani and, deep in her darkest and most hidden waves, Tohru, referred to Mayu as. "--is discussing jellyfish with the rest of the class! I'm going home." She drew the collar of her cape up around her ears, turning to depart from the nurse's office, only to be interrupted by Kyo.

"Wait a minute… how do you know they're talking about jellyfish, freak-girl—OW!!"

Uotani sighed, tapping the cat on the head with her pipe a few more times before turning back to Hanajima. "Pay no attention to Orangey, dear, you're not a freak. But of course you know that. Just don't zap anyone on the way home, okay?"

"I won't, Uo-chan. May Tohru and you both have good waves for the rest of the day…" And, like a phantom off to haunt bigger and better people, she was gone.

* * *

Megumi was absent when Hanajima arrived, presumably because the curse he had placed on his teacher had finally worn off. Oh well—he probably couldn't help much with the research anyways. He was too young to go to school with any of the Sohmas, and besides, research wasn't really his forte. It had always been his sister's—how could one who could read people's feelings and statuses not be good with research, particularly that which involved other people? Depositing her coat on the nearest coat rack, she set off down the dark hallway, her dark hair blending in perfectly with the generally grim demeanor of her home.

The internet may have been an amazing invention, but it was tough to learn about the waves of others without going out onto the field and detecting them yourself. Most of those who claimed to be able to sense poison waves were either lying or crazy, and those who weren't usually didn't have much to say. Not that she could complain—Hanajima herself preferred to keep things inside rather than all over blogs across the world. So eventually she gave up on any sites promoting wave reports (Yes, there were some, though as mentioned before the quality was disappointing). Instead she navigated back to the "Google" home page and typed in the word "Sohma," hoping a member of the family may have fumed over Kyo somewhere. Perhaps he liked to pick up stray cats he found and bring them home? That would drive even the most devoted cat lover insane after the 100th time or so. But no… his cat-waves were more potent even than that. She had only received those sorts of waves from cats themselves. But just one look at Kyo would prove that he wasn't, in fact, anything but human. So what could the explanation be?

The first website to appear was an older news article, apparently reporting on a medical student named Sohma Hatori. That seemed unrelated, so Hanajima turned to the next one. It was a detailed explanation of the legend of the Chinese Zodiac. _Odd. What's the point of that? _Hanajima frowned. True, there was a cat in the legend, but that had nothing to do with Kyo. Perhaps the waves were trying to portray that he considered himself an outcast? No, impossible. Waves had never delivered their message metaphorically.

Momentarily forgetting this newest mystery, Hanajima scrolled down to view the next website. Yes, this was what she needed. An essay on the reputation of the Sohma family. Even though the one she was really curious about, for whatever reason, was Kyo, she had always been suspicious of his cousin, Yuki as well. They weren't as noticeable—or perhaps Yuki was just better at hiding it—as Kyo's feline waves, but Yuki had a definitively rodent-like aura about him. Perhaps these waves concerned the entire family? Hanajima quickly clicked on the link and began reading.

_The Sohma Legends_

_Sohma Kana_

_For years the Sohma family has been in high regard throughout Japan. Most Sohmas, for some reason or another, end up in a rather unusual profession despite their wealth, such as the recent adult romance writer-phenomenon, Sohma Shigure, or Sohma Ayame, who has made a modest living off of a uniform store for women. Others seem to be born with strange hair colors, such as gray or even purple. Some even claim to have strange powers such as the ability to erase memories. No other family has created such odd trends. What is it that makes the Sohmas so spectacular? Could it be their family history and the strange legend surrounding it?_

_It has been rumor on the tabloids that the Sohma family is descended of the original animals of the Chinese Zodiac and is possessed with their spirits, but that, of course, is ridiculous. I, Sohma Kana, am part of a minor branch of the family myself and have witnessed no such phenomenon. Still, odd things have happened near the Sohma houses. Some claim to have seen a "ghost" with black hair staring at them from the windows. Others still report strange animals such as wild boars and stray dogs or cats surrounding the houses. I myself have even encountered a strange sort of déjà vu while doing normal chores like cleaning or eating in my own home._

_There is definitely something afoot somewhere in the Sohma family line, and whether it is the Chinese Zodiac, haunting, or simple coincidence, we may never know. However, I encourage many to look into this matter as it is a strange story indeed. If interest, contact me at…_

The list of phone numbers and email addresses seemed never-ending, but Hanajima decided it best just to ignore them all and close the window. She had no interest in sharing her findings. The screen went blank for a moment, then flickered back to her desktop—a picture of a black raven flapping its wings. A psychic must always look the part.

Frowning, Hanajima, spun around a few times in her famous wheeled chair, then laid one foot on the floor to stop. So the website on the Chinese Zodiac wasn't entirely off-subject. She considered the options the essay had given her. One: ghosts. No, if there were ghosts in the world, they would be residing in some place like her own home, not in some Sohma family home. Besides, ghosts didn't explain cat-waves. In fact… Hanajima skipped right to option three: they were possessed by the Chinese Zodiac. Kana was right, it was a ridiculous idea, but… She would have to do some more hands-on research tomorrow. The cat-boy seemed easy enough to milk information out of. For now, she waited.

* * *

"Wha… wha?! Er… Uo-chan, Hana-chan, are you there?" Came a soft, confused whisper.

"Hanajima had to leave, but I'm here, honey. Are you okay?" Pushing Yuki and Kyo away (Kyo responded with an annoyed growl, but Uotani ignored it) the thug/mothering figure leaned over the cot Tohru was laying on, her eyes darting nervously from side to side.

"Um… I can't really see…" responded Tohru, "And not to cause you trouble, but… I feel really sick…"

"Of course you aren't causing trouble, Tohru! Just keep your head down, and you'll recover in no time…" Uotani paused, and her eyes flicked to the side for a moment. Her brow furrowed ominously. _"What _did you just say, Orangey?!"

"I _said, _you're some freaky yankee, switching personalities like that!" replied Kyo, louder this time. He tensed, grinning wickedly. No one was exactly sure the reason for his hatred of Uotani, but as Valentine's Day drew closer, it was true that Kyo was nervous—any sign of a girl that switched from nice to nearly-evil or vice versa scared the hell out of him. And so he would soon learn the error of his ways…

Uotani's eyes flashed, and she was on him in a second, lead pipe flying every which way as Kyo shrieked piteously. Yuki sighed, shaking his head as his cousin was mercilessly beaten. Tohru whimpered near-silently, though in the mode she was in even Uotani wouldn't catch the hint and stop causing such a commotion. "My… floor…" mumbled the nurse in horror, afraid to raise an objection. In short, all hell had begun to break loose. And how ironic that all hell would be, for the time being, paused on account of one some thought of as a demon.

"Kyo-kun," announced Hanajima, her feet placed firmly near the edges of the door frame. Her black cape rippled, though there didn't seem to be a draft, and some students could swear they heard thunder. "Kyo-kun, I now know your secret!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: And, yet, again, hey. After much waiting, here's the third chapter!**

Love Works in Mysterious Waves

Chapter Three

"_Whaaaaat?!" _shrieked the cat, nearly giving Tohru a heart attack in the process. "What could you possibly be talking about? I have no secrets! Hah!"

Kyo had many secrets. One was that he, like the girl who was currently residing in the same household as him, was a terrible liar.

"Huh! That so, Orangey?" asked Uotani with vague interest.

"Yes, yankee!"

"L-Look…" began Yuki, very much aware that exposal for his cousin meant exposal for him. "I'm sorry, Hanajima-san, but if this idiot does have any secrets could we discuss them later? It looks like Honda-san has just woken up…"

"…Oh? How rude of me." (A student from the adjoining classroom would report that the mysterious thunder had just stopped.) Saki quickly paced over to the cot, leaning over her friend. "I would have recognized your waves, Tohru-chan, but I was in an excited state—"

"I'll say!" snorted Kyo, sulking.

"—I apologize. How are you feeling?"

"O-Okay…" Tohru replied, heart still hammering. If only Hanajima knew how much her outbursts were scaring her friend, she would have kept silent… until she was out of earshot, of course. "Where did you go?"

"Yes, where _did _you go, Hanajima-chan?" interjected Uotani, looking up from her lead pipe, which she had, for some reason, carried into the nurse's office. "I thought you said you were going home."

"I did go home. I had to check on some things," replied Hanajima cryptically. "It didn't take as long as I had expected. Did Tohru-chan just come to or was I late?"

"Hey, what's your deal, freak?" growled Kyo, throwing his opinion into the conversation. "First you show up babbling about some secret, and now you're all worried about Tohru-kun?!"

"That's Tohru_-san_ to you!" roared both Saki and Arisa in unison.

The bickering continued, and eventually everyone—save Hanajima, and perhaps Yuki—forgot about the untimely outburst. Upon being informed by the nurse that, if the patient had recovered, it was time to take the circus outside the office, the offbeat group returned to the classroom, where Mayuko proceeded to lecture about jellyfish. Compared to the morning, the school day proceeded quite uneventfully.

* * * *

"We're home, Shigure-san!" cried Tohru as she and the two Sohmas walked through the door. She seemed to be in a good mood, but then again that could just be relief at escaping the chaos, or perhaps just her default setting.

Kyo followed Tohru and his rival into the house, then bolted immediately for what had been declared his room. He clutched his backpack feverishly as he escaped up the stairs, his gaze trained on the ground the entire time. Tohru watched quizzically as the Cat departed before turning to Yuki. "What's wrong with Kyo-san?" she whispered, her eyes wide with worry.

Yuki shrugged, removing his own backpack before proceeding into the living room. "He's an idiot. Who knows?" But Tohru stayed where she was, staring upwards to where Kyo had disappeared to. The Rat sighed, knowing that, weakling that he was, he wouldn't be able to ignore her worry despite the fact that it involved the one person he despised more than anything. "I doubt it's serious," he added. "He's probably just moping about having to be around me so much. You shouldn't worry."

"But…" The girl's voice trailed off, and she took one step towards the stairs. She closed her eyes and nodded, as if making an important decision, then continued after Kyo. Yuki sighed and leaned back against the couch. He really couldn't stand that Cat.

"Kyo-san?" called Tohru, the sound of her voice gradually increasing in volume as she approached Kyo's location. "Kyo-san…?"

"I'm in here," he replied simply, wishing he didn't have to deal with this 24/7. Why couldn't he just stay with Shishou instead of being thrown in among these freaks?

Tohru opened the door nervously, her gaze immediately traveling to where the Cat sat. "Kyo-san, you looked upset. What's wrong?"

"What do you _think _is wrong?!" he snapped. Tohru winced and took a step backwards. "Not only am I forced to be with that pretty-boy Rat, I have to defend myself against your crazy friends now?! One day and all of this! That Yankee tried to kill me! With a pipe, dammit! And that _freak, _just enjoying it as she scares the living hell out of me! What could you _possibly _be on that makes you wonder what's wrong?!"

Tohru withdrew from the doorway, tears already beginning to stain her face. Kyo heard her footsteps gradually retreat down the stairs. He knew he would feel that one in the morning. And not just from the beating that bastard Rat would give him. It was always like this. He had a temper, this was obvious. But it went deeper than that. Kagura always thought it was funny, but that was just because she didn't care. When someone yelled at her, she switched personalities and came after them with fire in her eyes. This Kyo knew all too well. But later… later she wouldn't give a damn. Later she'd be chatting with them like nothing had ever happened. But others weren't like that, as he was beginning to see. They were struck by his anger, and they just drew it up inside themselves. Let it simmer there, so that they would never look at him the same way again. And most didn't look at him with the best emotions in the first place.

And it wasn't just Tohru either. When he had first been introduced to that other girl—Hana, was it?—When he had first been introduced to her she had looked at him with kindness too. Well, kindness was a bit of an overstatement. But she hadn't looked at him with disgust. It had been interest. Yes, that was what it was. And he hadn't even acknowledged her, save for a few insults he had thrown her way when he had entered his own personal Black mode.

Kyo sighed. For the first time he understood Hatsuharu's fits of blind range. It wasn't real anger, just the kind of thing that arrives in one's mind when they happen to be in an unpleasant mood. And Kyo was _always _in an unpleasant mood. He needed to talk to Shishou, but his adopted father had gone on a journey. Kyo wondered vaguely when he would be back.

_No. I know Shishou. I know what he'd say to me. He'd tell me to use the same self-control I use when fighting to govern what I say. Yes, I'll have to do that._

Kyo paused, then smiled slightly—his first true smile for the entire day. _And then he'd tell me to apologize before the person I'd hurt had forgotten about it._

Ten minutes later, the window in Kyo's room was hanging open. And, despite the fact that every bone in his body was asking, not quite politely, if he was insane for doing this, Kyo was running through the woods. The dim glow of streetlights came from his left, and he turned that way before even thinking about it. He burst out of the forest, then continued his running along the sidewalk, wondering exactly how he would find the house he was looking for.

A black cat came, purring, from the front lawn of one of the homes in the neighborhood. As it rubbed up against Kyo's leg, the teenager looked up at the house to find that, despite the building's normality, a rather eerie glow was coming from one of the higher windows. Kyo wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not, but there also seemed to be ravens circling it.

Half of Kyo was relieved, and the other half terrified.

He had found his destination.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Kagura! Despite what most Kyo fans think of her, she's one of my favorite Furuba characters. So she's introduced this chapter. Also, the main pairing of this fic (KyoxSaki. I hope you know that by now.) shall be starting to show itself! Ah, and was this chapter too short? Please tell me in a review if you want me to lengthen the chapters.**

Love Works in Mysterious Waves

Chapter Four

She huddled at the front gate, debating whether or not to enter. If he was there, would he be happy to see her? No, she decided sadly, he probably wouldn't be. And if he wasn't there, would she be able to escape the loveless building without destroying something? The answer to that one, she decided, would also be a resounding "no." She gulped, took one tentative step forward, then pulled her foot back as if a snake had just crawled over it. Taking a deep breath, she accepted defeat and was just about to turn away when the door opened before her and, much to her surprise, an unfamiliar girl a bit younger than herself stepped out. The mysterious girl stopped, gaping, and the two locked eyes for a moment. Kagura was speechless. _Who is she?! Does she know?! It's impossible for her _not _to know if she's here… What if she's trying to take Kyo-kun from me?! _The would-be rival didn't speak either, and so finally Kagura picked up the courage to ask, "Is it true… that Kyo-kun is here?"

The girl's eyes widened a bit, then she quickly bowed. "Ah! Um, yes, Kyo-san is staying here. …Oh! I'm, um, Honda Tohru. I'm… I'm staying here too."

_She's staying here? Well, she must know, then… _"I'm Sohma Kagura. I…" The Boar paused, embarrassed. At the mention of Kyo's name tears had begun to well up, and one had just fallen from her face. "I have to see him!"

"Er…" Tohru barely managed to dodge her visitor as she charged into the home.

"Kyo-kun! Kyo-kun! Where are you?!" Kagura sobbed, checking each nook and cranny as if the Cat might be hiding. He had certainly hidden from her before.

"Kaguran-chan!" Much to Tohru's relief, Shigure's entrance briefly paused Kagura's furious searching. "Here for Kyon, I presume?"

"Yes!" The woman dashed forward and clung to the hem of Shigure's kimono furiously. "Where is he?! Where is Kyo-kun?!"

"Now, now," assured Shigure, undisturbed by Kagura's antics, "He's in his room. Scared out of his mind by now, I'll assume. Tohru-kun, could you please escort our guest into Kyo's chambers?"

"Erm…" Tohru bowed, politely holding out her hand to her guest. "Yes. Please, come with me!"

Kagura regarded Tohru suspiciously, ignoring her outstretched hand. But, more concerned with love than with jealousy, she shot off after Tohru as soon as she had begun ascending the stairs. "Kyo-kun!" she cried for the umpteenth time as she made a final desperate dash into the Cat's room. "Kyo-kun, Darling, please…" She shuddered, drawing up within herself. Tohru leaned in with concern written on her face. "Please…" Kagura whimpered again, covering her face with her hands.

The resounding cry scattered the innocent birds that had decided to make a home in the nearby forest. Startled creatures ran for miles from the pure sorrow in the noise.

Kagura half-roared, half-sobbed again and fell to the floor. Tohru stared in shock, not wishing to be rude but at the same time too afraid to move. It seemed as if her shoes were cemented to the floor. She was awoken from her reverie by the noise of shoes hitting the wood floor outside the hall. Yuki rushed in, his gaze moving from the startled Tohru to the grieving Kagura quickly. "Kagura…?" he queried tentatively.

The Boar let out a sob, clutching her head with her hands. It looked as if some of her dark-brown hair would be torn out soon if she didn't loosen her grip. "K-K-Kyo-kun…" was all she could muster before letting out another howl.

Tohru worked up the courage to take a step back. Kagura gasped for air, but instead of screaming again she used her extra energy to raise a trembling hand. She pointed at the window, stammering, "He esc-c-caped…" Then, exhausted, she fainted.

* * *

"My." The black-clad teenager raised an eyebrow in what was apparently surprise. "Two cats outside my home."

Kyo glared at the black cat, which was now making a pillow of his foot, sullenly. "Yeah, well," he began, "I came to apologize."

"Is that so?" droned Saki, moving from the doorframe to let him in.

"Uh-huh." Kyo shook his newest fan off of his foot and entered the house rather nervously. "Um. For yelling at you and all that."

"Oh." Hana stared off into space as she shut the door. Then, with a twitch of remembrance, she nodded. "That was not necessary. I had deducted by now that such was a part of your personality."

Silence permeated the air for a few moments. Kyo sighed tiredly. He should have known she couldn't have just said "thanks" and get on with her life. "It is," he replied dejectedly. "It has been for… eh. For most of my life." Still she didn't reply, so the Cat, in his uncomfortable position, added, "Er… I guess."

"Is that so?"

The fact that Kyo didn't blow up then and there was a testament to his determined, however small, self-control. "Yes," he replied instead, mimicking her cool tone. "It is."

"Ahh."

More silence. Kyo began to wonder if anyone _ever _spoke in the Hanajima house, or if they just communicated telepathically. The quiet seemed so natural in the dark building. "…Look," he said finally, allowing himself to express at least the tiniest bit of his frustration. "This isn't going anywhere. And I apologized and all that, so I'll just leave, okay?"

As soon as he turned to stomp right back out the way he came, the strangely sweet voice came again. "Wait… Kyo-kun."

Kyo twitched. He wasn't exactly sure if he liked hearing Saki call his name like that. He turned back suspiciously, as if preparing for some psychic attack she might launch at him. Instead she only smiled in her knowing way, and added, "Thank you. I admit at first I was perplexed, but now I see why Tohru likes you. They may be faint, but you give off kind waves after all. Good bye, Cat."

_Did she just call me…? Nah. _And, as Tohru's friend faded into the shadows, Kyo turned back once again. While he was still unsure, he did feel satisfied in a small way. One wrong had been righted.

_Great. Now I have to face Yuki. _Sighing, Kyo retreated back into the woods.

As soon as the disturbance caused by the slamming of the front door had faded, a small head appeared from the opposite end of the front hall. "Saki-neesan?" called the middle-schooler, his eyes shining in the darkness of the dawn. "Was that a friend of yours?"

"No," replied Hanajima, walking to meet her younger brother. "Not really. But he _does _interest me."

Megumi looked up and smiled as faintly as was humanly possible. "Oh. You mean in the way Okaa-san says she used to be interested in Otou-san?"

"No, not in that way. I am just curious, in all. Yes."

But she wondered…


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hum. I was thinking of saving this until I had more reviews, but I felt like continuing it. I hope this chapter isn't too short. By the way, I've been watching far too much of Death Note lately, so forgive me if Kagura seems to be acting like Misa! And as for Megumi's actions… yeah, they seem rather L-like in their wickedly cute ways. While rereading the chapter I realized such, and, well… What can I say?**

Love Works in Mysterious Waves

Chapter Five

_"Kyo-kun!! What can't you accept that we belong together?!"_

"K-Kagura-san! Wait!"

CRASH!

Tohru stared after the Boar as she crashed through the window (despite the fact that it was already open) and landed on the ground outside. Not quite as agile as the Cat, Kagura failed to land on both feet and collapsed into the mud. However, love required sacrifices, and if she couldn't sacrifice a few articles of clothing to the realm of dirtiness, Kagura didn't know what she could. And so, she pulled herself up and kept running.

An awkward silence permeated the room of Kyo Sohma. Finally, Shigure sighed and trotted up to the open window. The weather had decided to reflect Kagura's current state of mind, and thundered threateningly as the Dog inspected the damage. "I don't mean to offend Kaguran-chan," he murmured in a tone that implied he wasn't really troubled at all, "But breaking the window was not necessary. This could cost money."

"You know how she is," replied Yuki, flicking a stray strand of hair out of his face. "When she starts charging, she causes as much mayhem as possible. Are you all right, Honda-san?"

The onigiri could only stare out the gaping window.

* * *

"…un!" Kyo paused from his bounding to marvel at a voice that seemed to be yelling—no, _screaming—_from the direction he was currently heading. And, as much as he wished that were not so, the voice sounded familiar.

"…o-kun!" _Like I really need _this _right now… _He thought, hoping beyond hope that the voice wouldn't come any closer.

_"Kyo-kun!!" _Without warning, what looked like a gigantic fist was hurled at him. The Cat let out a cry and jumped to the side just in time. Kagura landed in a heap on the spot where, seconds before, her love had been, half-sobbing and half-fuming. "Kyo-kun, why did you leave?! Why did you run away from me when you know we're meant to be together?!"

_"Because you're a vicious stalker, that's wh--!! _...Wait." Kyo frowned, approaching the mass of tears and mud tentatively. "I wasn't running away from _you,_ idiot. Not that I wouldn't have if I'd known you were here. But I didn't know, and I wasn't running _away_ from anything."

"…Liar," came a small voice from the mound, which now seemed to be easing back into her more gentle personality. "Where would you be running to?"

"To—" Kyo paused, trying to think of a way in which he could explain the situation without it sounding strange. In the end he decided it was best for his safety if he were to lie. "To take a walk. Do you really think I can stand being around that damn Yuki so long?!"

Kagura sniffed pathetically, then lifted her mud-covered self out of the dirt. "…No. No, Kyo-kun, I know you well and I don't think you could."

"Exactly," Kyo paused for a moment, debating whether or not she would attack him if he returned to his old, violent self again. He decided it was best to take the chance. "So quit interrogating me, damnit!"

GLOMP.

"Kyo-kun, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!! I couldn't trust you, couldn't give you the credit you deserved!! So please forgive me, Kyo-kun, my love, _please forgive me!!"_

Kyo stumbled, trying to pry the Boar off of him. From his new position on the ground, he could see that dark clouds were beginning to gather. _Great. Just what I need._ "Kagura, stop it! You sound just like Ritsu!!"

"Interesting. Who would Ritsu be?" Both Kyo and the manic Kagura bolted upright at the sound of the mysterious voice. Something tugged at Kyo's memory, and he realized that the monotone, droning quality of the voice greatly resembled that of Hanajima Saki. He shuddered at the thought.

Both Cat and Boar received involuntary chills as the middle-school boy stepped toward them. His hair fell in dark tufts around his face, and his emotionless eyes were by far the brightest part of his entire ensemble. Even the small umbrella he was carrying was colored a firm black. "Good evening," he remarked, as if it was perfectly normal for one such as him to happen upon a feuding would-be couple in the middle of the forest as a rainstorm began to brew.

"Oh…?" Kagura drew her soaked hair out of her eyes and, surprisingly, smiled at the boy. "You're cute! What's your name? I'm Sohma Kagura."

"Damnit, Kagura, don't—" sputtered Kyo, taken aback by the boy's resemblance to Saki.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Kagura-san. I am Hanajima Megumi." He grinned eerily. Kyo found that he almost resembled a rodent with that expression on his face, and this only made him dislike the boy more.

"Megumi-kun? How cute!" gushed Kagura, oblivious to the fact that Kyo seemed to be gripped in some sort of state of terror.

"Yes, thank you…" Megumi looked at the ground dully, then his eyes darted over to the Cat (Who was still speechless). "And that is Kyo-san, correct? Sohma Kyo-san?"

"Mm-hm!" Kagura nodded. "Kyo-kun is amazing!"

"So you two are related?"

"Distantly, yes. Kyo-kun is my mother's cousin's daughter's aunt's father's cousin's son. Or something like that. Right, Kyo-kun?"

While Kagura was in the midst of turning to look at the teenager who now seemed to be trying to inch away futilely, Megumi did a deliberate lunge to his left. Throwing his umbrella in a way that may or may not have been meant to hit Kagura in the back of the head, he inevitably lost his balance and began falling. In the split second it took for Kagura to notice this and dash to keep the child from hitting the ground, the Cat already felt that something terrible was due to happen.

And he was correct.

"My," remarked Megumi, smiling at the small brown creature which had replaced the manic teenager. "Saki was correct."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Damn. I really update slowly, don't I? As our favorite Monkey would say, I'M SORRY!!!!! But I have been busy lately. I promise to work on updating more quickly, but only if you promise to review!**

**P.S. Yes, "puzzlement" is a word!**

Love Works in Mysterious Waves

Chapter Six

"Oh, Megumi…" Saki sighed dreamily, reached out to retrieve her cape from the coat rack which stood before her own front door. "I do appreciate the thought, but you mustn't do these things…"

Draping the silk creation around her shoulders, she steeled herself for whatever chaos the combined forces that her little brother and the Cat-boy had created. "I suppose…" she muttered as she stepped out into the rain, "It's my job to set things right again, isn't it?"

* * *

"What the _hell?!" _roared Kyo, forcing himself out of his reverie to stand confrontationally in front of Megumi. "What're you trying to do, kid?!"

"Oh, right now I'm not _trying _to do anything," replied the child, avoiding eye contact with the Cat. "I just did it, you see. I proved that Saki-neesan was right." He gestured toward Kagura, who had been temporarily been reduced to her Boar form. "Your family _isn't_ normal, is it?"

Kyo winced at the seemingly-simple question, gritting his teeth. The rain had wet his hair to the point that it was now plastered to his face, greatly limiting his vision. But even a blind man could guess the look on Megumi's face: a triumphant little grin.

The Cat had failed. Not only had he lost a confrontation that he had not even been aware of, but he had just proven once more that the Cat was useless. Worthless. A shame to the Sohma family. He had let the secret out. Just like with Tohru. Kyo was a failure. Recognizing this, he dropped to his knees, ignoring the presence of Kagura and Megumi. He might as well already be locked away. He was the Cat, and he could never escape that.

"Megumi!" All but the despairing Kyo jumped at the sound of the girl's voice. Now it had become apparent why she spoke in such soft tones at school—her real voice was loud, forceful, even commanding. Saki strode onto the scene, her face showing the first real sign of emotion in months. "What did you do?"

Even Saki's brother wilted a bit at her tone. "Neesan! I… I knew this was bothering you. Kyo Sohma, I mean. I didn't want you to be troubled by it…"

"What did you do?" repeated the teenager, though her face had softened a bit. "You didn't curse anyone, did you?"

"Of course not, Neesan! I…" he gestured toward Kagura, who was currently trying her best to cheer Kyo up (and failing at it). "I fell, and when the girl—Kagura Sohma—caught me, she turned into a pig."

"A Boar, actually." All heads turned as yet another new face arrived on the scene. Shigure stepped forward pleasantly, seemingly unaffected by the rain, followed by Tohru and Kyo. "As in, 'the Boar of the Chinese Zodiac.'"

"Hana-chan!" cried Tohru, rushing forward to meet her friend. "What are you doing here?!"

Saki stepped back, eyes wide. "Tohru-chan! I should ask you the same thing!"

"Hana-chan…" Tohru began to cry. Yuki hung back, watching helplessly. Even Tohru knew what this meant. Both the child and his sister would have to have their memories erased.

"_Shut up,_ all of you!" This sudden outburst was the last in a series of many, many surprises. Kyo seemed to have recovered from his sudden depression, and was now standing yet again. The Boar rolled off of his lap, landing on the ground with a thump. The Cat's eyes were strangely fierce, even more so than during his many fights with Yuki. After his yell, his voice softened to a normal volume, which somehow managed to be even more disconcerting. "This is going to take a while. So don't be idiots. If we're going to be talking for hours, then we should get the hell out of the rain."

Even Yuki couldn't argue with that logic.

* * *

Shigure surveyed the mismatched group of teenagers sitting in his living room with a strange combination of glee and dread. Tohru was now attached to her old friend, who was also in the midst of being glomped by her younger brother. Kagura (who was back in human form) clutched at Kyo feverishly while Yuki stood silently in the back of the room, his eyes half-closed.

"…Okay!" announced Shigure, clapping his hands together in an attempt to banish the awkward silence that hung in the air. "So, explanation time! Right, everyone?"

No one answered. In fact, the only one who made any sort of acknowledgement towards the Dog was Kyo, who glared at him sourly.

Shigure continued on obliviously. "Saki-chan, Megumi-kun, I believe you may already have figured this out, but the Sohma family is not normal. Far from it, in fact. You see, we—"

"You are possessed by the spirits of the Chinese Zodiac, correct?" interjected Hana, gently easing out of Tohru's and Megumi's grip.

The Dog blinked in surprise. "My. You _have_ done some research, Saki-chan."

"And this woman, Kagura-san, is the Boar," continued the psychic patiently. "Kyo-kun is the Cat. Yuki-san is the Rat, and you…" She frowned, focusing all of her senses into decoding Shigure's waves. "…You are the Dog."

"Hana-chan…" murmured Tohru sadly, staring at her friend pleadingly. "Please. You… you could…"

"Shigure." This was Yuki, who had finally turned to his relative. "You don't… plan on calling Hatori, do you?"

The Dog's eyes narrowed, and for a moment his darker, less jolly self was exposed. "That is exactly what I plan to do. What else would you suggest?"

Saki, Megumi, and Tohru watched this exchange with puzzlement. For a moment Saki's gaze dropped down to the other two members of the Zodiac present, who had now rolled onto the floor in their struggle. _Don't be foolish,_ she chided herself, and forced her eyes back to Shigure and Yuki.

"If Akito didn't mind Honda-san knowing of the curse, then what of two others? How could they make a difference?" argued the Rat.

"I don't know what Akito is planning," replied Shigure darkly. "If you think you can guess what his response will be, then be my guest."

"Stop pushing all of your uncertainty onto me!!" snapped Yuki suddenly, his voice rising. "Neither of us know what he will say, but why hurry?! I… I won't let this happen again!!"

The silence rose like fog, stifling and uncomfortable. Even Kyo and Kagura had stopped fighting long enough to turn their eyes on the two. Letting out a disgusted sigh, Yuki turned and walked straight out of the room. No one made a move to follow him.

"I take it there is something you're not telling us about?" commented Saki coldly.

"Yes," replied Shigure, turning towards her. He was smiling again, but there was a wry darkness in his expression that made Tohru shudder. "There is."

"I hate to agree with that stuck-up Rat…" spoke up Kyo, suddenly, getting up off of the floor and dusting himself off, "But for once he's right. We… we shouldn't rush this. At least wait until you've asked Akito."

Shigure tilted his head up in an exaggerated look of thoughtfulness, then nodded slowly. "I suppose so. Can't have both of you yelling at me all the time, anyways. It's bad for my ears."

Though Saki wasn't sure exactly what was happening, she sensed that the Cat had just helped her avoid a large danger. _Kyo-kun…_ she thought, letting out a sigh of relief, _Thank you._


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: As usual… about the updating… Sorry, dude. -_- But now summer is over, and as sad as that is, it means that I will have more time for writing. (As opposed to the time I had for video-game-playing and sleeping during the summer.) So enjoy this extremely-late chapter…**

Love Works in Mysterious Waves

Chapter Seven

"My. I knew this was a rather large secret for you, but I didn't expect it to go this far…" commented Saki, watching apathetically as Shigure and the two Sohma boys dragged two extra futons into Tohru's room. "Am I being kidnapped or is this simply a sleepover?"

"Oh, a bit of both, I suppose…" giggled Shigure, sliding the first futon into position next to Tohru's bed. After their rather unpleasant conversations, the Sohmas and their visitors seemed to have reverted back to their old selves, and Shigure was no exception—he had danced about the house singing about high school girls until Kyo kicked him. Now, despite the slight injury, he was still in a magnificently cheery mood.

"He's kidding," assured Yuki, turning to Hana and her brother. "It's just that it's getting dark, and we figured you probably didn't want to walk back through the forest in the rain, so…"

"So it's the former," finished Saki.

Yuki sighed and turned his back as he began arranging Megumi's futon. "Sorry. It… It can't be helped."

"This is ridiculous," complained Kyo, "We've had three people find out about the curse in the last week or so! Might as well put it on a billboard for the whole world to see…"

Yuki turned on him, shooting the kind of icy glare he excelled at. "And in both situations, it was _your_ fault, stupid cat."

The Cat winced, reminded of the fact he had been trying to ignore for the past hour or so. "S-Screw that!" he snarled, flustered. "It's all because of that bitch Kagura changing into a boar! I had nothing to do with—"

"KYO-KUN!!" Yuki stepped aside nonchalantly to allow room for the whirling mass of brown and pink which had just ran in to accost Kyo. "DON'T YOU _DARE_ SAY SUCH THINGS ABOUT YOUR FIANCEE!!"

"We're not engaged!" protested Kagura's helpless victim, throwing his hands up to defend against her blows, "Stop telling people that, dammit!"

Saki sighed, gazing dreamily out the window as the exchange heated up. It wasn't that she minded staying with Tohru and the Sohmas for a night or two, but…

"H-Hana-chan!" Saki was snapped out of her reverie—not that she minded—by Tohru's worried voice. As she came to her senses, Saki realized that her friend had been standing in front of her for at least thirty seconds in an attempt to get the psychic's attention. Hana immediately felt guilty for zoning out as Tohru's anxious waves drifted into her mind, replacing the unnecessary thoughts of seconds earlier.

"Yes, Tohru-kun?" replied Saki, trying her best to sound nonchalant as usual. The unpleasant bit about acting mysterious all day was that, when she was actually bothered by something, Hana had to keep up her gloomy façade to her image's sake. That is, unless only Tohru or Arisa was present, but now that was certainly not the case.

Hana-chan…" Tohru looked at her old friend seriously. "Please… I don't want you to resent the Sohmas. They've done so much for me, and it's really my fault you got caught up in this, so…"

Ah, so that was it. Tohru had seen through Saki's act and automatically assumed it was something she was responsible for. Such typical Tohru. Saki smiled genuinely for once, taking her best friend's hand. "Tohru-kun, none of this is your fault. And I don't resent anyone. If I know you are worried, I'll worry for you—so please don't be. I am as happy as ever, Tohru-kun."

Tohru gazed down somberly, gripping Saki's hand. "But, Hana-chan—"

They were interrupted as Megumi entered the room, automatically attaching himself to his older sister. "I talked to Okaa-san on the phone. She said it was okay if we stayed at a friend's house. I told her that we didn't actually know anyone there, but Tohru-kun had been living there for the past couple of weeks, and we were friends with her, so—"

"I think saying that we were unacquainted with the three officially living out here was a bit too much for Okaa-san's nerves, Megumi-kun…"

Megumi didn't have to answer; the mischievous waves echoing from the psychic's younger brother said enough: he knew all of this, but had only let on as much as he did for entertainment as he listened to his mother's reaction.

"Hey," called Kyo crudely, untangling himself from Kagura. "The futons are all set up, so if you actually plan on getting any sleep—"

Saki turned to the Cat, putting on her best emotionless face. "My, Kyo-kun. Why exactly would one such as me ever sleep before four a.m.?"

The Cat suddenly forgot his annoyance and dove behind his part-time stalker, part-time assailant in terror—it seemed Hana had just thrust not only her usual creepiness upon him, but a deadly fierceness as well. He shuddered, wondering why the psychic couldn't pick on someone else for a change.

"Well," interjected Yuki, shooting a smug look at the shuddering cat, "Sleep or no sleep, I'm guessing you three will want a break form our antics." He threw the winning smile that had immediately formed the Prince Yuki Fanclub on his first day of high school towards Tohru and the two guests. "We will leave you now."

And, with some persuasive speaking and a few good tugs, the Rat had emptied the room of his relatives.

* * *

"Kagura…" came a stony voice from under the covers, "Get _out_ of my bed."

"B-But, Kyo-kun!" The boar leapt up to emphasize her passion. Kyo's relief didn't last long, though; she soon had him in another chokehold. "I love you! Why do you keep insisting that we can't consummate our love, huh?!"

"Agh! Don't say that!" croaked the boy, trying desperately to breathe. "I don't love you, and I'm not going to have sex with you, damnit!"

(Down in the first floor, Shigure chuckled and muttered something about "the joys of adolescence.")

Kagura let out a childish whine. "Why noooot? You haven't found another girl, have you?!"

"How the hell am I supposed to do that when I _can't get rid of the first one?!"_

"Aha! So you admit it! I am your girl!"

"That's not what I—ugh." Kyo sighed, laying his head back down on the pillow. (Kagura had released him at her last exclamation.) "Can't you just give it a rest already?"

A silence, then, "It's because of that other girl, isn't it?"

_"No, _Kagura. Tohru-kun and I are not—"

"Not _her. _I meant the creepy goth. The one whose brother mauled me."

Kyo gave a start. "How the hell could you think--?! The last thing I would want--!! Ahh! Shut up, damnit!"

Hana had listened to this exchange (as it was quite loud in comparison to the silence of the rest of the sleeping house, or in comparison to anything, really) with a sort of apathetic interest, but now she found that her heartbeat had sped up slightly. It was beating at a steady crescendo, the kind of beat a dreary girl like her had never really hoped to achieve. _Tongue-tied, Kyo-kun? _She thought, chuckling softly, before falling asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: See, I told you it would be faster now!**

Love Works in Mysterious Waves

Chapter Eight

_"Kyo…kun…"_

* * *

"Hana-chaaaaan! Time to get up!"

Saki twitched, half-convinced she was still dreaming. The words were familiar, but the voice she heard was not Tohru's. She opened her eyes sleepily, then rolled over onto her back so she could view who it was that was calling her name.

Saki was not startled—no, she was _never _startled—but she had to admit she was quite surprised to see Shigure standing over her, a goofy grin on his face. "You're awake!" his smile grew even larger, if that was possible. "Come on, Hana-chan, Tohru-chan's just made breakfast!"

Before Hanajima could respond, there was the sound of two pairs of footsteps pounding furiously on the wooden floor outside of the guest bedroom. Not long after, two lanky teenagers—one with silver hair, the other with orange—arrived in the doorway. "Shigure," sniffed Yuki, "If you're going to hit on any high school students, then at least do it subtly."

Hanajima smiled a bit, amused that the two boys had extended their protective nature past Tohru and onto her as well. That being said, she hardly needed their assistance, not like helpless Tohru-kun. He pushed herself up with her elbows, blinking the tiredness out of her eyes as she did so. "You mustn't worry," she assured the boys, "Your family member's waves may not be innocent, but there is no real harm in them either."

"Our dear Hana-chan is exactly right!" protested Shigure, pulling his face into a hurt expression. "I meant nothing by—"

"Shut it, pervert!" growled the figure behind Yuki, and the Cat crept into the room threateningly, his eyes locked, as usual, into a constant gaze of hostility.

Again, Saki was _never _startled, but she twitched slightly as Kyo came into view. Memories from last night's dream came flooding in, and something told the psychic she didn't want to relive them again, so she forced them back quickly.

"Megumi-kun and Tohru-kun are waiting for me," said Hana hurriedly, picking herself up off of the futon. "I mustn't keep them waiting."

* * *

"'Bye, Kagura-san! It was great meeting you!" Tohru waved cheerily, and Saki felt a new wave of affection for her friend and her kind innocence.

The Boar smiled, waving back as she took her first steps off of the Sohma porch. "I admit, I didn't really like the idea of leaving Kyo-kun with two strange women at first… But I think he'll be faithful. Right, Kyo-kun?"

The Cat grunted.

Kagura quickly wrapped him in an unwilling hug. "Goodbye, everyone! Goodbye, Kyo-kun!"

"It was good to see you, Kagura-neechan."

"See you soon, Kagura-chan!"

"Eh. Go on and leave already."

As Tohru continued to wave melodramatically, Saki contemplated her farewell. At last she decided on, "It's been quite interesting, really."

"The same goes double for me," commented Megumi, mimicking his older sister's deadpan expression.

As Kagura marched off (Hana faintly wondered if she had a car parked anywhere or if she had simply walked to the Sohmas') Yuki turned to Tohru and his two new guests, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry… for Kagura, I mean. In case you haven't noticed, she has a rather… passionate infatuation with the idiot here."

"No, no, it's cute!" assured Tohru as Kyo shot a fist at the Rat's head. As Yuki countered by kicking him halfway across the lawn, she continued, "I can tell that she really loves him. I'd love to feel so strongly for someone one day…"

Saki looked down suddenly. Her face appeared happy, but there was something different in her eyes—and not just the usual apathy. She loved Tohru dearly, but couldn't help but inwardly scoff at her naïveté. Kagura's feelings for Kyo—she knew this not only by the waves she emitted, but also by her actions—were little more than a child's puppy love. And while Hana supposed such things could be beautiful, she had never had a single romantic experience in her life and, quite honestly, couldn't fathom the Boar's never-ending energy. It was as if she wasn't just _in love_ with the Cat—but she also needed him for herself. Without Kyo, it seemed she felt that she might as well die.

_Well, I suppose that that is sometimes how love is defined…_ figured Saki, remembering the classic story of Romeo and Juliet. In that case, though, the feelings had been mutual; such didn't seem to be the case here.

Saki could tell from the Rat's waves that he felt the same way, but, like her, would never mention it for Tohru's sake.

_Tohru's sake…_

Hana felt as if she had suddenly tripped and knocked over a bucket of water, spilling its carefully-hidden contents out for the world to see. That simple thought, the thought of holding back for her best friend's well-being… Now memories from her dream were flooding out one by one. She winced visibly, moving her hand up to touch her forehead, to feel the aching there. Without realizing it, the psychic backed up drunkenly in an attempt to regain her balance, but tripped and collapsed on the Sohma's front porch, unconscious.

"Neesan!" cried Megumi, his voice rising for the first time in a long while. He rushed to his sister's side, along with Tohru. The Sohma family stayed back, looking with alarm at the scene before them.

For all of Hanajima's oddities, Kyo could have taken her sudden fainting spell for one of them if not for Megumi's and Tohru's reactions. "Um…" he cleared his throat, feeling a bit awkward, "This isn't… good… right?"

Effortlessly, Yuki kicked him again. "Shut up; you're not helping, idiot."

Normally the Cat would have responded with equal animosity, but his eyes flicked back to the unconscious Saki and he obeyed the Rat's words for once.

"Hana-chan…" Tohru's eyes filled with tears. "She's not… ill… is she?"

"No…" replied Megumi, having regained his calm. "This has happened before." _After she almost killed that boy… _"Neesan faints under pressure—it's a side effect of the ability to read waves. She responds this way to extreme emotions. The only reason you haven't seen this before is that it doesn't happen often."

Tohru glanced over at her friend's brother, wiping her eyes pitifully. "Extreme… emotions…?" she echoed shakily.

Megumi nodded silently, keeping his eyes on his unconscious sister. She was breathing heavily, and even from his distance he could feel heat radiating off of Saki. It did appear to be a fever, but… _No. She seemed uncomfortable today. Neesan… what happened?!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Am I moving the KyoxSaki relationship too quickly, too slowly, or at the right speed? Help me out and let me know here; it's a worry of mine that I don't pace myself properly.**

Love Works in Mysterious Waves

Chapter Eight

It hadn't been an unpleasant dream. No, it had been a wonderful dream, which was the bit which terrified Saki the most. As a general rule, she didn't enjoy dreams; they were altogether too chaotic, too full of the whirling emotions which Hanajima liked to think she didn't have. The nightmares were bearable, because the terror wore off once you realized how ridiculous they really were. But the good dreams—you couldn't shake them. And so Saki dreaded them the most.

Last night's dream had been especially unforgettable because of the inclusion of the orange-haired Cat. Saki could proudly say that it hadn't been one of the sort of dreams she suspected Shigure had regularly… but there was a kiss involved, and for the unromantic Saki, this was just as bad.

Kyo-kun… it sickened her, the casual way she addressed him, even though they barely even knew each other… When she first started referring to him in that way, she had assumed that it was simply out of mischievousness, as it was obvious how touchy the Cat was. But now, hearing the way Kagura said it…

"Kyo-kun…"

…It took on a whole new meaning. No, she couldn't be anything like that lovesick Boar, could she?

And then there was Tohru. It was obvious that, whether she realized it or not (Saki now knew that such was not an easy thing to realize.) the Onigiri liked Kyo quite a bit. And he seemed fond of Tohru—at least the closest feeling to "fond" that a boy of his temperament could find. No, Saki could not infringe on her best friend's territory. But…

"Kyo-kun…"

"Huh? Um, yeah?"

Saki jerked awake, her eyes wide with alarm for a moment before reverting to their usual unconcerned gaze. As much as she hated it, her line of sight went straight Cat-ward, only to find Kyo staring back. "There's no need to stare like that; I only fainted," commented Hanajima coldly.

"You're the one who said my name," replied the teenager, his voice tinged with agitation. "What? Were you reading my mind again."

"I do not read minds. I simply interpret waves." This statement was merely a reflex learned from the years of trying to explain her powers.

"Well," came an annoyed growl, "Why the hell'd you call me then?!"

"I did not—" Saki paused mid-sentence, remembering with a wince her swimming thoughts.

"It's true, Hana-chan," murmured Tohru softly, looking down at her friend worriedly. "You said, 'Kyo-kun,' right before you woke up."

"I…. did." Saki corrected herself with growing worry, though of course she was experienced in keeping her face from betraying her stress. Only Megumi sensed her nerves, and he stayed silent.

"Well, if you said my name, then that the hell d'you want?!"

Saki narrowed her eyes ominously. Kyo ducked behind Tohru.

"Neesan," said Megumi gently, holding out a hand. Hana took it gratefully and heaved herself up into a sitting position. She then stood up shakily, her eyes closed as if in deep concentration.

"Hanajima-san?" This call came from Yuki, who had recently punched Kyo in the face for no apparent reason. Despite his outward charms and pleasant waves, Saki was beginning to learn that she didn't like him much. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Of course. You've no idea how common this sort of thing is for me." This wasn't a lie, it was simply sly phrasing. It was not common, but then again, Saki had not specifically said it was common. "But it usually only happens at home." This last bit was to calm down Tohru, who would have recognized her lie otherwise.

Megumi held fast to his sister's hand. "You should still lie down for a bit, Neesan. Come on, I'll accompany you."

The tendency to avoid both lying and telling the truth was a skill that was common in the Hanajima family.

* * *

Once the two siblings were safely alone in the room they now shared with Tohru (Ushering the concerned girl out was a task which had pained Saki) the eldest raised herself out of bed slowly. "Yes, Megumi-kun? What did you want to ask?"

Saki's brother turned to her seriously. "You know what I wanted to ask, Saki-neesan. What worried you so much that you fainted?" When his sister didn't answer, he protested, "I can't sense waves like you! You have to _tell_ me what you're feeling!"

Saki was silent for another moment before smiling at her anxious brother sadly. "It… wasn't something you have to worry about, Megumi-kun."

For the first time, tears sprang to the middle-schooler's eyes. "Of course it is! I've always helped you when you were sad, and you've always helped me! I… I don't like being this separated from you, Neesan!"

The teenager stared at her brother solemnly. Then she sighed—a long, deliberate sound that never failed to slightly disturb whoever heard it—Saki included, though she would never admit to it. "I'm sorry, Megumi-kun. You're right. It was unfair of me to keep things from you. It's simply that this is not something that I would…" Saki paused, unsure of how to finish the sentence. Usually her words slipped from subject to subject easily, without any hint of hesitation. It seemed a lot was changing about her, and she did not like it. "I suppose I'm rather attracted to Kyo-ku—to Kyo."

Silence. Surprise wafted out of Megumi in strong waves, clouding Saki's mind with how vast they managed to be. "Yes, I didn't expect it either…" she added, feeling an unwelcome sensation of awkwardness.

"To the _cat?" _confirmed Megumi, his voice cracking as he spoke the last word. He seemed to be suffering from a moderate case of shock. "With the…" He motioned to his head. "With the _orange?"_

"Megumi," murmured Saki, raising a hand in front of her face in embarrassment. "Please, we can't have _both_ siblings acting completely out of character. You mustn't worry; I blame it all on those things Mayuko-sensei calls hormones, myself. Only foolishness brought on by my current age."

Megumi managed to nod, doing his best to hide the dwindling shock from his face. "Yes, but Neechan… if you fainted, then…"

Saki did her best to smile comfortingly, leaning down toward her brother in reassurance. "Stress isn't the only reason people faint, Megumi. I've actually been feeling rather ill lately, but please don't tell Tohru-kun."

"I don't believe you," replied her brother bluntly.

"No, I wouldn't either, but you should…" She shrugged, then straightened up opened the bedroom door slowly. "We should meet the others now. I can't have Tohru-kun worrying about me…"

Megumi stared after his sister dubiously. He would never object to Saki finding someone who would make her happy, but… hadn't Tohru already done that for her? Or… _People really do get stranger and stranger at her age,_ he decided.


End file.
